DAN

DAN

Hello once again,

                            A short time ago I came across a picture of myself and my dear wife Sarah from about 1987 or even 1988. I was as handsome as I am now and heading for my eighteenth birthday, Sarah was very pretty, not long past her 16^th birthday and was clever enough to hold down a responsible occupation where the local fish and chip shop would have failed to open for business if it wasn’t for her aptitude at peeling potatoes. I was in full time employment for a defunct electrical business where I had access to a works van and a screwdriver!

A Peeling implement.

Our romance was a slow burner and it was some months later when I rang her from a gay bar in La Manga, Spain to tell her  that I loved her. When she replied, ‘I love you as well’ I put the phone down and couldn’t wait to get home to hold her in my arms and kiss those pretty lips! My best friend Sarah is much more reserved than my good self and would not appreciate endless anecdotes about our courting days, but trips to Blackpool, Morecambe, Southport and anywhere else that were accessible from Burnley bus station provide happy memories of the fledging months of our relationship together.

A Burnley Bus

Access to the van extended our geographical capabilities and we went here there and everywhere until an unfortunate accident on the way to Malham in Yorkshire led to us being incapacitated, stuck in a ditch and being saved by a local farmer This led to a ‘bit’ of a telling off and to having the car removed from my accessibility and heading straight back to the bus station, via the job centre!

Malham

After a while we started living ‘over the brush’ and bought our first house together, we were blissfully happy apart the constant screaming and bellowing from the nut cases that lived next door. Many people kept bringing up the subject of marriage, which I always batted away as I had a deep fear of making a lifelong commitment and was insistent that I never wanted to be betrothed.

And then nearly 17 years ago our young lad Joe arrived on the scene and life was good. Memorable holidays to Devon and Cornwall and Scarborough where we enjoyed watching him going from a baby to a boy. Plans for a house with a garden were on the horizon. And in hindsight holding my son in my arms to the point of losing the blood flow in my limbs as Sarah recovered from the emergency operation whilst listening to Louis Armstrong sing We have all the time in the world, was probably the moment that I realized fatherhood was indeed a lifelong commitment and I had nothing to be scared of.

Mr Armstrong

Not long after in the utterly unromantic setting of our front room surrounded by catalogue clearance furniture whilst doing something completely forgettable, I do recall saying that if Sarah fancied it, we could indeed get married! She shocked me, Sarah is not an emotional person she is very measured and calm. However she was over the moon she was just delighted.  We hugged and if I ever had any doubts about the love she had for me they were completely removed at that point. To be honest she has always loved me, I knew it, but couldn’t

believe it. 

So we did it, we got wed on my dear Fathers 80^th birthday.

And as this amazing beautiful person watched me do all sorts of things that were going to change mine and her life, from football refereeing, hospital radio DJ, Stand Up comedian, writer, poet, she never batted an eyelid, never said, pack it up you pillock! She just supported me, loved me, and encouraged me. As mentioned in a previous blog sitting with Sarah at my side at the Lowry theatre watching a professional stand comic perform my material in front of a packed audience will live long in the memory.

A Football Official

 And now, here today being married to her is the heartbeat of my life, because of her I can be myself, safe in the knowledge that whilst she might tut or shout at me, I know she loves me and our friendship and our marriage will mean we live out our days together. I write this blog because ordination looms, and if there is one thing that is absolutely certain. Without Sarah at my side there is no way, just no way on Gods earth would I be being ordained in the summer at Blackburn Cathedral. I have never been referred to as God’s gift, to women, to comedy, or to retail but I certainly believe that Sarah is indeed God’s gift to me. The road we have travelled together has been so special, lots of setbacks, tears, hurdles for me to overcome to get to this point. I did it because of her, and because I believe God intended me meet her at bus stop back in the days of new romantics and Rick Astley I believe ordination will prove to be a wonderful life changing experience.

New Romantics

Sarah or Dan as I refer to her is preparing to take on the next leg of the journey to our new home in the next month with extraordinary enthusiasm, she continues to support me and love me as I moan about the here and now but by grace to have her in Gods house on the 4^th July (Ordination) is the proudest thing I could wish for besides having three wonderful children who make life hectic, exhausting and utterly exhilarating.

St Matthews Burnley

I do feel God has a plan for all of us, the difficulty sometimes is working it all out, but maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe we are just not meant to know. But by submitting to his will the answers to the conundrums may be revealed, by not submitting you run the risk of never knowing how bloody fantastic it feels to live with her by myside and heavily under the influence of our savior Jesus Christ.

Love to you all

Alextheanglican.

Fry'd Christians

Fry’d Christians

Stephen Fry attacks down the left, no down the right, through the middle round the sides, over the top and smashes the God delusion right into the back of the net! Another resounding victory for the Anti – Christ brigade, in fact I have never been so impressed since Johnny Rottens’ beautiful rendition of Anarchy in the UK on channel 4’s The Tube sometime back in the 1980’s which I incidentally still have somewhere on a high quality but low selling Betamax cassette tape.

And with the usual damnation of all things Jesus he frequently skillfully and meticulously dismantles the concept of a loving God that might one day welcome him with open arms into the bosom of heaven. In fact I believe am I right in saying that if that was to happen to Fry, the great man would decline the offer because  if ‘this’ God was to allow children to contract cancer and so forth then he wanted no part of this notion of heaven. Fry is a master of the English language and has more than one or two supporters if his twitter numbers are anything to go by.  There is no doubt he is a formidable and persuasive supporter of the atheist religion, and one whom I often wish was in the Christian corner of the ring rather than the other side which benefits from such an eloquent and high profile academic/celebrity/writer/director and supporter of gay rights. I admire him greatly he is a man for whom talent is endless as he succeeds in most things he turns his hand to.

And yet whilst he does much damage to Christianity and anything that supports the notion of a higher being, forgive me if I remain as much a doubting Thomas of his position as he is of mine. Within the great man I see a vulnerability that I feel supports the necessity of Christianity and the truthfulness of the faith of which I am part of. Stephen Fry is probably one of my favorite celebrities, one of the people I would definitely have at the top of my dinner party wish list. I am sure he could bamboozle me with anti-Christian rhetoric and take me to the very edge of jumping ship as he crushes my rather simplistic approach to my faith in Jesus as the way and the truth.

I don’t want to get into heavy theological debate about God and suffering, but in a nutshell I would suggest that suffering is a necessary part of our humanity, if we only experienced the highs then I believe we are not living in the real world. The lows remind us of our responsibilities, to love one another in times of difficulty, to pull together in times of strife, to support our friends in times of need and to learn much about our own existence, emotions and well-being.  If life was one big high and nothing went wrong, and nobody got ill, and nobody got hurt and nobody suffered then we would be living in Paradise, and you will not be surprised to hear me suggest that destination Paradise is awaiting not in this life but the next. Mr Fry with all his genius and all his intellect and his success and his wealth is brilliant utterly compelling, I really mean that, but he demonstrates just enough for me to doubt his rhetoric his front and his fabulously articulate destruction of the God that I love and one I believe loves me.

There are three views aren’t there? God exists, God does not exist, I am not sure if God exists or not! Stephen Fry clearly believes God does not exist and in the unlikely event that our paths shall cross I shall leave it to the worlds’ great theologians to argue with Fry and debate the finer points of God as creator or a bang that was very big! For those of you unsure then I absolutely understand the predicament. As for me, with all the sincerity, all the meticulous use of beautiful words, with all the utter genius of Fry, sadly or gladly it is not enough to dissuade me from my absolute conviction in truth of Jesus Christ. Why? Jesus Christ did it all, he loved, he healed,  he cleansed, he grieved, he walked with the lowest of the low, he fought the oppression of humanity, he stood up for his beliefs, he taught about righteousness and the future, and importantly he suffered. He suffered the most despicable and horrendous slaughter. He was humiliated, tortured, and reduced to nothing, and he died on the cross. His legacy leaves hope in a bright tomorrow, a way of life that can’t be criticized. Where is the harm in loving thy neighbor as thyself? Christianity has much to be rightly criticized for, organized religion has many flaws, and I am not responsible for the wrong doings of so called ‘Christians’ who have damaged the good name of Jesus. But I am responsible for telling the truth as I see it. As Fry is a man of integrity and genius I consider myself a much less successful individual but equally a man of integrity and my words may be much less persuasive and far less articulate than my favorite quiz show host but never the less they are written with absolute truth as I see it. I pray for Fry sometimes, why? I think he needs praying for, he may see that as condescending and inappropriate, I see it as absolutely necessary.

The secular word wants less Faith and more fiction; I understand this but the media moguls, the anti- Christ army and the sometimes offensive bigotry to people of faith should not surprise those who live it. Nobody said following Christ would be easy, it isn’t but following ones faith should prove fruitful in the end.

In Christ

Alextheanglican

The difference a year makes.

Hello and Happy New Year,

This is the day the Lord hath made and it is also the year God has strangely decided by his grace that I shall be ordained in. And indeed what a difference a year makes, Our New year celebrations were a little different this time round and we had a pleasant evening playing board games and indulging in an Iceland platter that did little to arouse the taste buds as we attempted to guess what we were eating and where the duck had absconded to, in the spring roll that was sadly lacking character and taste.

I think the first sentence to leave my mouth the moment Big Ben lit the indulgent fuse wire on the London fireworks was ‘I’m getting ordained this year’ and it was not to dissimilar the year before when the only difference was the addition of the  word ‘next’. It has to be said it has and continues to be roller coaster of emotions as I go from excitement to anxiety, to enthusiasm to frustration and tolerance to impatience. 

 However ordination is creeping ever closer but it doesn’t necessarily make things any easier to deal with.  We are fortunate enough to have our housing arrangements sorted which is something that some of my peers still have to finalize and as the property is empty we are able to pop along and begin to plan what will go where and who will have which room etc. The house is lovely and will provide us with a delightful family home throughout my curacy, but when I stand alone in the vast lounge or slow step around the study that looks out onto a lovely garden I really do reflect upon the journey thus far and wonder how it all got to this stage.  In hindsight a lesson I have learned and continue to learn is to trust in God and accept his will whatever that may be.

A friend said to me recently I can see you slowly turning into a Vicar! I took it as a compliment and as I reflect upon this long road to ordination it somehow rings true, The years of study, preparation, prayers, travel (boy have I done some miles?) reflection, laughs, tears are indeed slowly preparing me for a new life as a man of the cloth!  Occasionally I meet someone I haven’t seen for many years and when I tell them my new pathway they are initially quite shocked and wonder what happened to the previous ambition of being a stand –up comedian or full time jester in the retail sector.  Well if the recent residential at Rydal Hall was anything to go by the hilarity and sense of fun is still very much in the bones that God created. It was lovely seeing some dear friends with tear filled eyes laughing out loud as we let off a bit of steam as we journey together on the road to ordination. I am indeed slowly turning, or preparing for life anew and I am looking forward to it very much but it doesn’t come without sadness.

Work has many  finalities about it at the moment, last peak conference, last Argos Christmas, last annual performance review, last catalogue launch, etc. and whilst it may be assumed I can’t wait to go, it is most certainly not the case. After giving 15 years of my working life to the company with the laminated browsers it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye to the world of retail that has provided for me and my family since I first was employed by Curry’s at the tender age of just 15. Argos has pretty much been a great experience and has been a wonderful training facility for ordained ministry Trust me there is no walk of life that has not been experienced during my time as a retail business leader. The pastoral experiences have been unending, from bereavements to family breakdowns, from shoplifters to homeless people sleeping in bins, from acts of kindness to lessons learnt, Argos has been incredible.

For now I continue to do my best for my employers, January is never an easy time, but trying to encourage my team to prepare for a new boss and keep motivated is the focus of my attention at this moment. By mid-May my work with Argos will be done, I will be very sad to say goodbye but will take many happy memories and some wonderful friends.  At home the excitement and preparation slowly builds, a bit like looking forward to the holiday of a life time, not that I expect ordination to be like a holiday. But preparing, forming, whatever it’s identified as is joyful and scary, daunting and enthralling I am looking forward most definitely. I have returned to my sending church Higham St Johns, where the support is encouraging and affirming.

St Matthews in Burnley will be my future home that will offer new experiences, new challenges, and it will be exciting to see how my ministry and discipleship to God develops. I am getting ready to serve the people and Christ, I’m not quite ready yet, but through the support of my most amazing and beautiful wife Sarah and my friends and by the grace and
love of God by the time July 4^th arrives I will be able and ready to serve God as a Deacon then Priest then Vicar for the rest of my working life.

Your prayers will be appreciated,

Much love

Alextheanglican.

Advent.

Well hello,

                  Today is the beginning of Advent, did you know that? Or are you so busy you don’t have time or the inclination to even consider the Christian concept of Christmas?

The news coverage over the last few days has been quite incredible as we observe dear old ladies and gentlemen get trampled over and battered by humans of varying ethnicities as they scramble for 50 inch televisions assembled in the most cost effective countries to do nothing more than increase the footfall into Supermarket ‘hangers’ and satisfy the ever uneasy shareholder. It’s the bloke who went in for a Warburton’s loaf and some fairy liquid that I feel sorry for!

I’ve worked in retail all my life, Black Friday didn’t exist a few years ago, It has been embraced into the bosom of society like a re run of Morecambe and Wise or Only Falls and Horses. Somebody has gone, ‘we’ll have a bit of that’ and bing, bang, bosh, people have turned into frenzied monsters who in a few more years will arrive at ASDA in full combat gear, all tooled up and ready to inflict immense pain on the enemy in the desire to grab a sandwich toaster that nobody wanted the day before. It’s landed quicker than a crow on a deceased hedgehog.  Retailers wont just need security they will require a border crossing, bullet proof vests and no man’s land area that keeps the animals from the meat, so to speak!

I have to be honest and suggest this utter ridiculous and embarrassing behavior by the human race is indicative of our society today. This shameful display by individuals clambering over one another to gain an advantage is common place throughout industry today and frankly only enhances my belief and faith in the way and truthfulness of Christianity in its purest form.  Expectation that you only succeed in life is a huge burden to carry, why do we always have to get what we want? Why do we always have to be successful? Why do we always have to do better than the man or woman that walks by our side?  I would suggest that sometimes it is good to be vulnerable; sometimes it’s okay not to be running on a full tank, sometimes it okay to do absolutely nothing.  The supermarket  debacle only reinforces my belief that when we should be resting we are out battling and fighting to gain an advantage over someone else and on this occasion the competitive edge led to fighting, abuse and shame on the man or women that was kicking ten bells of the you know what out of the weaker individual in the desire to grab a cheaply manufactured television that will probably pack up working before the next Black Friday.

This Urban warfare should remind us all of what society is becoming and at the beginning of advent Christians are encouraged to prepare to celebrate the coming of Christmas, would you know that? Has that had any media coverage? Is that given any press space? Can anybody even be bothered to consider Christmas in its Christian form? For Christians, Christmas has been robbed it has been ripped away from them by a consumerist society that places significant financial burdens upon families and creates the anticlimax that it’s all over come Boxing Day when the scrap for the next Matsui or Blaupunkt piece of electrical hardware takes place up and down the high street. For Christians Christmas doesn’t finish on Christmas day, it begins!

I don’t for one minute believe this situation will change any time soon but I do want anybody who might read this little advent rant to consider the Christian message that is delivered this coming Christmas. Whatever your view of Christians, religion, me! The story of Jesus is not that unbelievable, just very helpful, He came into the world to help us, to save us from ourselves, to teach us the idea that we can heal and be healed, and to love one another.

We all claim to be in shock and awe at the recent clips of ‘nutters’ fighting for a successful haul, but be honest with yourself, could that have been you? How far are you being pushed in the search for success?

Advent affords you the opportunity to claim back a bit of yourself if that makes sense? A chance to re-evaluate your own self-being. To consider your own existence and the purpose of being alive.  If you feel you have lost your identity or are being manufactured into something you are not then let advent encourage to do something about, The message of Christ is simple and I repeat’ he came into the world to help us, to save us from ourselves, to teach us the idea we can heal and be healed, and to love one another.

Black Friday, was meaningless, the consumerist Christmas is short lived, the lovely time you will spend with your families is real, the twelve days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day, and I encourage that if possible you extend your season of goodwill to then and beyond, and use advent as a time of reflection and consider where you’re up to and what is important in your life.

In Christ

Alex the Anglican

Enjoy the silence

Hello,

Whilst my last post was written in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District I compose this latest offering from somewhere a little less romantic. The rolling countryside, photographers and water features has been replaced by the urban setting of my family home. I look out from my kitchen table through the finger printed glass that is the gateway to our conservatory. In the said building that was added to enhance our real estate I can see two feet wrestling with one another but no torso can be perused. I can tell you it is my daughter who is multi-tasking by sprawling out on her tummy whilst reading a book, watching children’s television, singing an unrecognizable song and of course foot wrestling. I can see pots of paint being stored as my good lady sets about painting another wall in preparation for us selling the house before becoming the curate at St Matthews Burnley in spring next year. I can see my back garden which is looking very post summer. There is a St Georges flag sticking out of moss infested, chipped flower pot I can’t remember if the flag originated from a World Cup, or a Olympics or a jubilee or non, of the afore mentioned but it’s certainly lost its regal appearance it acquired when purchased from the pound shop as the elements have taken its toll on the once healthy red cross of our great nation. An empty washing line, a punctured football, two guinea pigs and a much used and slightly rusting swinging hammock make up the setting I present before you this late October morning.

 

A PUNCTURED BALL

                                               
                                                ST MATTHEWS CHURCH BURNLEY

It’s the first day of the half term holidays here in Lancashire, I have taken a few days off to spend with the children but as is quite normal, I find that whilst the physical body is not at work the cogs and mechanics that engineer my thoughts and emotions reveal that I am still very much at ‘work’ in the mental sense. Being a manager anywhere carries certain responsibilities and from time to time those responsibilities are greater and more challenging than other times in one’s career. And so a holiday is often a welcome relief for many of individuals that live in the world of supervision and responsibility. Some people enjoy the stress of a busy day or an unplanned crisis that throws the once smooth running period in to utter turmoil. Some people really enjoy being the problem solver, the font of all knowledge, the go getter the star of the future, the unbreakable and the most heroic. However some people just can’t cope with the pressure of management or deadlines, they wobble, make mistakes blame others and make excuses. Ultimately falling into a pit of despair and ultimately failing, frequently through no fault of their own. Being placed into a position of responsibility without the necessary skills and experience is in my view is one of the worst things any business can do and is both detrimental to the business and the individual. I’m pleased to say that has not really been something I have experienced except in the instance of a company that is long gone and no longer trading. The manager who ‘led’ us was way out of their depth and to be honest would have been out of their depth had they just been paddling in the gentle waves that may occasionally reach the shores of the vast dry beaches of the Southport coast line. The reality was they were not a great manager but the truth was the individual was a truly lovely person and someone who I respect personally if less so professionally. I’m pleased to tell you that individual left the world of management and found their niche and they excel at what they do now, that is something that encourages me greatly.

SOUTHPORT (BY THE SEA)

So whilst the great and the mighty flourish and the inexperienced and the misplaced ‘fail’ it leaves those sometimes floundering away somewhere in between  sometimes the ones we forget about, the individuals that manage but are not managing and barely coping. The vulnerable individuals that externally communicate that all is well but internally their world is challenging and joyless. I do believe that up and down the land we inhabit there are thousands and thousands of individuals in this unhealthy category. This can be extended out to not just businesses and managers but to the ups and downs of living of relatively normal life. In the very busy secular world that dominates the working week for most of us today people are struggling to cope with ever increasing chores, school runs, clubs, shopping, bills, relationships and so on and so on.  The lives we are living are so often in the uncontrollable fast lane and often we find ourselves breaking the speed limit of life to cram it all in.

Yesterday I led family worship at St Johns church Higham and I asked the congregation to raise their hands if they felt life was just so hectic and if they struggled to get things done in a day. I can’t be certain but if I suggest 99% of the parishioners raised their hands I don’t think I would be too far out in my estimation. All this pressure that is placed on people and this pressure that we place on ourselves is a real cause for worry and concern. Where are you right now? Be honest with yourself, are you loving every minute of every day? Are you in control of your destiny and well-being? What could you do to alleviate the pressure of life?

                                               ST JOHNS HIGHAM (NEAR BURNLEY)

I know that many of those who may read this blog would prefer more humor and amusing anecdotes from my colorful past and much less of the religious and Jesus loving rhetoric that I often conclude my blogs with. On this occasion you may be deeply disappointed.

The pace of life you/we/I are living will not slow down on its own accord, something or someone has to intervene and reclaim the time and space that is desperately required in our lives today. Church or Faith or Christianity or religion or whatever words you choose to use describe people like me often comes in for much criticism. ‘Church’ is often described as boring, out of date, out of touch, irrelevant, bigoted, and serving nobody but themselves. Well who knows? Maybe the criticism is just and correct. But don’t be surprised if I disagree!  Maybe we, the church, are little old fashioned maybe we are struggling to cope with the digital revolution, maybe we use language of bygone days, maybe we need to adapt quicker to the changing world.

BLACKBURN CATHEDRAL

Maybe, maybe, maybe or maybe not! I have no idea why people come to church, I haven’t asked but I guess for many reasons, to worship God, for friendship, for company, for tea and biscuits and so on and on. I would suggest in this mad crazy world that for many of you church is simply not an option it’s not your bag, it’s far too uncomfortable for you to consider but I challenge you how comfortable or uncomfortable is your life right now?    I encourage you to do one thing though. In this country of tolerance, inclusion, equality and free will. Please look at church through maybe a slightly different lens. Not as a place where you are going to be indoctrinated and battered by the will of the all fearing Priest, but as a place of opportunity and sanctuary and community away from the hectic lifestyle you live. I have often in the past taken friends or colleagues to Blackburn Cathedral and the stillness, beauty and tranquility of the space is often remarked upon. As a future ordained minister, I don’t expect people to come and fall to their knees on entering a church, I don’t expect you to become a devout Christian and plead for your sins to be forgiven. I will not turn you away for your color or your sexuality or your religious background and I will welcome you if you’re an atheist or agnostic, loving life or deeply frustrated, but I will encourage you to find some space for quiet contemplation and listen to the silence that will surround you!

 There is a verse in the Bible it writes ‘Come to me all who are heavy laden and I shall give you rest’.  It’s in the New Testament in the book of Matthew 11:28.30. For theologians they are expected to understand it, study it, explain it and preach on it. For those non theologians I suggest you don’t need to do any of the above but simply respond to it. Churches and cathedrals are beautiful historic places of worship and the next time you are visiting a city or parish and the door is open (which it should be) then why not nip in, sit down, enjoy the silence and be encouraged to take the sting out of life and put some peace and ‘you’ time back into your weekly schedule.

Many blessings from Burnley

Alextheanglican.

 

     

From the training camp.

Hello good people,

 Let me paint the scene for you. It is 6.30 am on a mid-September morning and I am three stories up sat in total silence looking out at the most beautiful countryside in the heart of the Lake District. Rydal Hall is my location; a Church of England establishment where people of faith and non-come to enjoy the delightfulness of Ambleside and the surrounding area.

It has just come light, not light enough for the huge solar powered water fountain to burst in to life and dominate the stunningly kept gardens below but enough light to appreciate Gods glorious creation. A few moments ago the silence was broken by a huge flock of geese that soared passed the landscape like a displaying squadron of the Red Arrows before they descended and disappeared into the distance. Sheep are already grazing in the fields below and the occasional car lights illuminate the twisting roads that head into the village.

It is the first morning at the beginning of my final months as an Ordinand and the dynamic and feel of the community has changed somewhat due to falling numbers. Just ten of us this time round, ten individuals with their own stories and their own pathways and their own individual relationships with the Lord that ultimately brought them to Rydal Hall this weekend. Being at this incredibly beautiful place raises a number of emotions, first and foremost is one of feeling very, very fortunate. This place doesn’t come cheap, it is very middle to upper class and some of the residents reflect this in their language and presentation, it’s a little more Mark and Spencer than Ethel Austin shall we say? Their intention is to enjoy the Lake District but probably more by the way of heritage attractions, local history and art galleries rather than let’s go on a boat and visit The Beatrix Potter world in Windermere.  Pleasantries are exchanged at meal times and then our varying groups go our separate ways.

This is the ‘induction’ weekend where we meet with fellow Christians down at the university campus in Ambleside later. The village in September is still a magnet for tourism and it’s not long before the next tour bus of people from faraway places rumble through heading to the next unexplored gem on their significant Lake District itinerary. Up at the campus, is the time of year when new students come and do all the necessaries before embarking on proper study for the rest of the year.  Often you can sense the anxiety of people beginning something new which for many is a frightening and daunting experience. Not being sure of what to expect and wondering if it is all going to be possible. I have felt that on a number of occasions I can tell you. I head there for my third and final time feeling reasonably calm about things whilst wondering how my family is doing back home particularly as Sarah and the girls are sleeping in a tent in our back garden!

In some ways I will be glad when the final induction is done it will mean no more and just a little closer to the big day. Ordination is creeping closer and closer, big decisions are approaching, house moves are looming, children are asking, colleagues are reminding and I am just worrying! Worrying that it will be okay, worrying that the family will be happy, worrying if the congregation will like me, worrying that I will like them, worrying if I can do it or not etc  etc  etc  etc and lot more act’s after that.

It’s 7.24 am now I have enjoyed a cup of tea and a complimentary biscuit, out of my other window I can see the hall and surrounding landscape coming to life, there is a rabbit nibbling on something or other in the garden and unbeknown to each other is a man taking photographs of a rather sedate river that flows with much more severity in the winter months, he must be good though as he has a tripod! He appears to be out for the day by his large rucksack and his robust walking shoes.

8.50 am, just returned from downstairs where I enjoyed 7.45 communion with the group followed by a rather disorganized breakfast to set me up nicely for the day, the fried eggs were out of stock so settled for a poached one. The teapot eventually arrived, but the satisfaction was lost due to the waiting time. Anyhow the rush to get to campus is on, ablutions, phone calls and a quick tidy round is in order. Will report back later!

You would think that after 2 years of doing this I would have taken heed of the email that said bring your own mug, I didn’t and was reduced to a little plastic affair that struggled with anything wet let alone anything hot and wet! The Induction day has gone okay, comforted that it was my last one I had more energy than I anticipated and the cheese and chutney sandwiches were a joy to be hold whilst the crisps and no cake were less impressive. Lots of new faces as people set off on their reader training, a mixed bag it has to be said, one that is hard to describe but if I had to I would suggest it was group of people that wouldn’t look out of place at concert where Daniel O’Donnell were topping the bill. The short trip back to Rydal was erm short and as I type away with a cup of Cumbrian tea and a party ring biscuit I look out where the long gone photographer stood earlier today I reflect that time sometimes moves  slowly but surely creeps ever closer to the big day.

The evening concluded with a fine send off for our departing principal, lots of old friends and faces were present, and I sat with a couple of friends and a lady I didn’t know, I introduced myself and asked ‘what do you do?’ to which she replied, ‘I’m the Bishops wife’! I sat a little more upright and slipped into my telephone voice, whilst the esteemed lady smiled a lot until the conversation dwindled into nothing. She turned to her right I turned to my left, she spoke to her friend and I spoke to mine, Happy Days !! Compline (Night prayer) brought proceedings to a close, I did a reflection and brought Marc Almond into conversation, we prayed, I felt close to my Lord and savior, I missed my family had a drink a came away to finish this blog.

Only 6 more of these weekends remain and I was wondering if you are aware of how time changes you? 24 months ago I was bursting with excitement about becoming an ordinand and whilst the novelty still hasn’t worn off, the time that has passed and has certainly changed me. It’s changed my approach, my opinions, my actions, my prayers, my priorities and my life and those closest to me. Hopefully though it hasn’t changed my personality or my sense of humor it’s still raging below like a live volcano. Rightly or wrongly it is in my DNA it is what I am about and something I wouldn’t exchange for anything. A long time ago a manager I knew who was appointed as a mentor to me, told me to achieve any kind of promotion I would have to basically change my personality, it is a conversation I will never forget. I recall ending the conversation abruptly thanking the individual for their time, explaining that I would be prepared to do many things to change but what was being suggested was simply not possible. Fortunately many years later a new mentor, God has changed me, changed me in an amazing and incredible way, but thankfully he left my personality intact and never have I felt compromised by who I am or what I do or how I do it.

My conclusion to this blog is very simple but truthful and that is be the person you are, be the person God created, be yourself, remember your mug, prepare lots of eggs, don’t bother with the tripod, and look out for them geese.

Love to you all

Alextheanglican.

Thinking Out Loud ....

Hello friends,

                      It has been a while since I took to the world of blogging so here we are in early July where you find me in a rather contemplative, reflective kind of mood. So much has passed and so much to look forward whilst trying to embrace the here and now!

The last month or so has been quite memorable for many a reason not least of which was the Ordination of some lovely people who I have come to call friends, and the service at Blackburn Cathedral was delightful. To see such happy individuals with loved ones surrounding them as the Bishop of Blackburn laid on his hands and set them off to begin life as clergy folk was really fantastic. I sat with some fellow Ordinands and we were very proud to be able to enjoy the day with them and I can't lie that on more than one occasion it crossed my mind that it was me and my buddies who would be next, by the Grace of God of course!

I have recently discovered where my first post will be and when I received the email suggesting it would be St Matthews church in Burnley I have to tell you I was overjoyed. Apart from the first four years of my life when I had a little southern accent from being born in Tooting South London I have spent my entire life in Burnley and those of you who know me well will understand how much I love this old industrial mill town and how pleased I am that God has called me to spend the formative years of my ministry remaining in the borough. With the excitement of the news comes the realization that things are changing that I wont be an Ordinand, Store Manger or layperson for that much longer. The prospect of becoming a Deacon, clergyman, Rev or even Father is a little overwhelming, however I will still be a husband, father and friend to those around me and as the awareness of change heightens so does the trepidation and fear factor that in less than 12 months I with my family will begin an exciting and very scary new chapter of our lives. My family are deeply important to me and what a burden my and my calling form God are to them, but how amazingly supportive is my dear wife Sarah.

 The process I suspect is cranking up somewhat, I have ordered my first cassock which my Mum and Granny insisted on funding and I find myself perusing the numerous clergy retailers looking at clergy shirts that all look the same but am assured and vastly different in quality.  Also we have to move home at some point and I was ordered to power wash the drive today I sense Sarah is getting down to the task of getting things in order to be able to sell our house as we prepare to move to pastures new. Whilst we await news from the Diocese where our new home will be we have taken to looking at properties for sale in the Parish, probably setting our expectations a little too high as we saw a lovely home for sale with sprawling gardens and a pebbled drive, I suspect it wont be that be we do pray it is a nice family home!

One thing I am looking forward to is the colleges annual Summer School and as I remind people it is not a holiday but a week of theological education centered around worship and prayer, if it as half as good as last year trip to Cuddesdon in the Oxfordshire country then it will be a worthwhile trip, Mirfield near Huddersfield I hope your ready for us! Having the added pressure of arranging the social evening is not great and also being the newly elected chairman of the Ordinand meetings is something I am not accustomed to but will give it my best shot and I am sure my colleagues will be gentle with me. Another birthday away from home is a another reminder of some of the sacrifices one makes in fulfilling the desire to be Ordained and I am sure there will be many of those to deal with over the coming years. 

Another thing that I have been pondering recently is the reality that this will be my last Christmas working in the retail sector and after working in 'shops' since the age of fifteen it really hasn't sunk in that my shop keeping days are slowly drawing to a close and the new year will be a very interesting time in my life. The retail environment I believe will serve me well as I really have seen pretty much everything over the last 30 years tendering to the needs of the general public. I give thanks to God for the experiences and for the laughs and the tears and the characters and personalities I have met.

So there we are just a few bits of the many things going on right now. It really has been a quite incredible journey so far you know? I was baptized when I was 37 I was exploring the world of stand up comedy, then all of a sudden something happened and changed the direction of my life forever. God interrupted me and my families plans and taken us on the the most incredible white knuckle ride we have ever experienced and I don't see the ride ending anytime soon. To all of you who read my blogs thanks for your encouragement, thanks for taking a few minutes out of your life to enter my world and I hope that if you  can take anything from any of them then I hope that is can be the absolute truth and conviction of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his desire to offer his love to you at any point in your life, whenever that may be.

Have a really great Summer,

with love

Alextheanglican.